Runners take to streets of Waltham in Moody Streek 5K

Two of Waltham’s newer residents took the top prizes – while two of the city’s promising young athletes followed closely behind - at Sunday’s third annual Moody Street 5K to help raise money for Waltham High School and Kennedy and McDevitt Middle Schools.

Two of Waltham’s newer residents took the top prizes – while two of the city’s promising young athletes followed closely behind - at Sunday’s third annual Moody Street 5K to help raise money for Waltham High School and Kennedy and McDevitt Middle Schools.

Jake Lehroff and Amelia Landberg both recently moved to Waltham and said after the race they were looking for ways to keep up their running schedules and connect with their new hometown when they decided to take part in the Moody Street 5K. Lehroff, who has lived in the city about a year, said he is hoping to run as many of the Race Around Waltham events as possible, while Landberg said she made up her mind to run on Sunday just about 16 hours before she bested the women’s field in 18 minutes, 31 seconds.

“I’ve loved Waltham so far and this makes it feel like an even tighter community,” said the 28-year-old Landberg, who is part of the Greater Boston Running Club. “It’s a wonderful event and a beautiful day. I was really impressed by how much the community came out and supported it – both by cheering and donating.”

The race – sponsored, in part, by the Waltham News Tribune and WickedLocalWaltham.com - attracted more than 1,200 entries this year ranging from experienced runners, to those simply out for a nice walk along the Charles River to support a good cause, to the hundreds of high school and middle school students breezing past their teachers and coaches along the course.

“I love seeing the kids out there,” Landberg said. “There was one young woman who was right behind me who was very fast.”

That young woman was 14-year-old Kennedy Middle School eighth-grader Taylor Pinzone, who was second out of all the women in the race in 19:01.

“I was training for this race so I could get a good time,” she said. “When you see everyone ahead, you want to go faster to catch up to them. It motivates you.”

Despite outrunning all but two of the Waltham High athletes in the race – boys or girls – Pinzone said you probably won’t see her on the track for the Hawks next year despite what will likely be some hopeful prodding from the school’s cross country and track coaches.

“Some of them always say they’re going to ask me to do it, but they know I like doing lacrosse,” said Pinzone, who also plays basketball and field hockey. “But I like road races. It’s an independent sport, so you get to go off on your own and just run.”

That’s what Lehroff, who lives near Brandeis, says he does all the time along the Charles River. So when there was the chance to race down his typical practice path, he jumped at it.

Page 2 of 2 - “My favorite thing is to run along the river,” he said. “It’s great to have a chunk of this race be along the river. When I was running, I was looking around and saying, ‘Hey, this is where I run every day.’ It kept me feeling good about it.”

The 28-year-old Lehroff, who moved to Waltham from Natick, used to run for the New Balance Running team.

“I was very good then,” he said, “and I was the slowest on the team, so that gives you an idea of how good they are.”

Lehroff won the men’s race in 16:58 with Waltham High junior Roger LaCroix second at 17:24 and junior Chris Kelleher third at 17:33. Both are members of the WHS cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams.

“My coach said this would be fun,” LaCroix said. “He suggested that all the distance people do it. I’m mostly a track person.

“Track is more about speed. Road races are more about willpower because it’s just you out there. You have to tell yourself to keep going.”